


Oktoberfest

by PlanetClare



Category: Captain America (Comics), Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Winter Soldier (Comics)
Genre: Anxiety, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Challenges, Choices, Conflict, Courage, Cybernetics, F/M, Free Will, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Guilt, Oktoberfest, Protective Bucky Barnes, Redemption, Teamwork, Trust Issues, principles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-17
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-28 04:06:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,839
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22777633
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlanetClare/pseuds/PlanetClare
Summary: Bucky’s protective instincts kick in when he joins a few Avengers at an Oktoberfest celebration.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Clint Barton, James "Bucky" Barnes & Natasha Romanov, James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes & Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes & Wanda Maximoff, James "Bucky" Barnes/Darcy Lewis
Comments: 4
Kudos: 52





	Oktoberfest

**Author's Note:**

> © 2020 Planet Press
> 
> The Marvel characters herein are the property of Marvel Comics which retains the rights.

“Why isn’t this line moving?” wondered Clint Barton wearing dark sunglasses under his black baseball cap. He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jeans and frowned.  
  
“The gates haven’t opened yet,” Bucky Barnes noted looking toward the front of the line. His long brown hair was half up in a bun in the back with the tips of the unbound half resting on his broad shoulders.  
  
“What’s wrong, Clint? Can’t wait to get inside and start drinking?” joked Natasha Romanov. Her red locks were French braided into a ponytail and hung halfway down the back of her brown leather jacket. To answer her wisecrack, Clint gave her braid a sharp yank.  
  
“Ouch! Knock it off, jerk!” Natasha yelped as she jabbed Clint in the ribs.  
  
“Are you two getting started already?” Steve Rogers asked with a smirk. Like Clint, he wore dark sunglasses, but his baseball cap was navy blue.  
  
“Yeah, set a better example for the kids,” advised Sam Wilson cocking his head toward Wanda Maximoff and Darcy Lewis, who Wanda had invited along for the outing. Being close in age to the young Sokovian, Darcy and she had bonded and were becoming good friends. Both girls were dressed in jeans and t-shirts.  
  
“Dude! Did you just call us _kids?’”_ Darcy queried in disbelief. The lovely brunette looked at Wanda for support as the auburn-haired beauty stared at Sam with her mouth ajar.  
  
“Wow...” said Bucky as he began to laugh.  
  
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Sam insisted. “And you shut up, Barnes.”  
  
“Guys!” Steve snapped.  
  
“We’re heading straight for the beer gardens, right?” Sam asked.  
  
“The beer gardens? We’ve gotta see stuff first,” Bucky suggested.  
  
Just then, the line began to move and the Avengers approached the ticket taker. Steve handed a ticket for each member of the group to the young lady at the gate. Once inside, they stood and looked around the grounds at all the booths, rides, and lights.  
  
“I thought Oktoberfest was all about beer. Is it normal to have rides and games and stuff?” wondered Darcy.  
  
“It is now,” Clint replied with a broad smile.  
  
“Hey, they’ve got a band!” Wanda chirped as she looked toward the bandshell in distance. “Can we check it out?”  
  
“Let’s get something to eat first,” Clint suggested.  
  
“No, let’s ride something first,” said Bucky.  
  
They all looked at Steve waiting for him to decide. Finally turning to Bucky, he said, “I remember how the rides at Coney Island made me throw up.”  
  
“I’m sure there’s nothing like The Cyclone ride here,” Bucky assured his best friend with a smile.  
  
Just as Steve was about to suggest they split up, something caught Darcy’s eye.  
  
“Bumper cars!” Darcy suddenly yelled. “They’ve got bumper cars!”  
  
Without saying another word, the group began to briskly walk toward the ride.  
  
“I don’t think we have anything like this in Sokovia. So, it’s just little cars hitting each other?” asked Wanda curiously.  
  
Unfamiliar with the ride, Natasha shrugged her shoulders.  
  
Laughing, Clint said, “That’s the beauty of it.”  
  
“Yeah, it _is,”_ Sam grinned at Bucky, who took that as a threat.  
  
“Oh, it’s _on,_ bird man,” the soldier whispered.  
  
As the group lined up at the entrance, Bucky and Darcy traded longing looks.  
  
‘I’m tired of pretending that he and I don’t know each other. I want to hold hands and snuggle with him,’ thought Darcy as she watched the breeze blow a strand of errant hair across Bucky’s face.  
  
Meanwhile, Bucky admired Darcy’s pouty lips and wished he could kiss them.  
  
‘Maybe she’s right,’ the soldier thought. ‘Maybe we should just tell everyone about us and get it out in the open.’  
  
“Buck? Buck!” Steve called.  
  
“Huh?” the soldier asked snapping to attention.  
  
“You’re holding up the line,” his friend noted.  
  
“He’s scared I’m gonna turn him into road kill,” Sam joked.  
  
Giving him a half smile, Bucky warned, “We’ll see about that. Choose your car, bird brain.”  
  
Once the Avengers were seated in their bumper cars, the competitiveness began.  
  
Clint quickly drove his car into Natasha’s which made her yelp.  
  
“See, this is how you do it, Nat. Just run into somebody. It’s fun!” he urged.  
  
“Oh, you mean like this?” she asked before backing up her car and running into his.  
  
“Hey!” he yelled with surprise.  
  
“I’m a quick learner,” the Russian spy said throwing her head back and laughing heartily.  
  
On the other side of the floor, Sam sat in his car looking around for Bucky. When he finally saw him, Sam jammed his foot on the accelerator and sped toward him.  
  
Bucky was slowly moving around keeping an eye on Darcy, so he did not notice Sam bearing down on him. Suddenly, out of the corner of his left eye, the soldier noticed a car racing toward him. Pressing his foot on the peddle, Bucky was able to move his car out of the way just as Sam’s was about to hit him.  
  
“Nice try, bird man!” the soldier yelled over his shoulder as he drove away.  
  
“It’s just a matter of time!” replied Sam as he plotted a new path around the other side of the floor.  
  
As Bucky caught up to Steve, he wondered about his friend’s tactic of driving in a large circle around the floor’s perimeter.  
  
“Hey, pal? Whatcha doin’?” asked Bucky.  
  
“Uh...just driving around, Buck.”  
  
“Are you gonna _bump_ somebody?”  
  
“...Probably not,” Steve admitted with his eyes as big as saucers.  
  
“Don’t tell me Captain America’s afraid of getting hit. It IS called _‘bumper cars,’_ you know,” Bucky laughed.  
  
“Yeah...I’ll get out there. I’m...just getting a feel for things.”  
  
“Well, if anyone comes at you, I’ll take care of ‘em...” his friend promised. “...just like always.”  
  
“Thanks, Buck,” Steve replied embarrassed that he seemed timid.  
  
Seeing Darcy on the other side of the floor, Bucky decided to head toward her.  
  
“I’ll be back,” he advised as he drove away.  
  
Bucky was careful to keep an eye on Sam as he made his way over. As he approached the laughing brunette, she looked at him and turned her car toward the soldier’s.  
  
“No!” he mouthed as he raised his right index finger.  
  
Pouting, Darcy looked disappointed. Then, suddenly her expression changed and her face took on a look of shock.  
  
“Look out!” she yelled and pointed at Sam who was heading straight toward Bucky. Just as Sam was about to crash into him, seemingly out of nowhere, Steve guided his car in front of Sam’s blocking him from hitting Bucky.  
  
“Sorry, Sam – not Bucky,” the protective hero advised with a smile.  
  
“Good timing. Thanks, pal!” Bucky chirped as he smiled at his best friend.  
  
“Aw, Cap! That ain’t fair,” Sam lamented. As Steve drove away, Sam advised Bucky, “Next time!”  
  
Watching Clint bearing down on her, Wanda asked, “Really? You were going to hit me?”  
  
Feeling guilty, the archer slowed his car.  
  
“Sorry about that,” he offered sheepishly.  
  
Just then, Clint was hit hard from behind.  
  
“Hey!” he hollered and turned to face Natasha who was grinning slyly at him.  
  
“I _like_ this ride!” the spy admitted gleefully.  
  
Glaring at her, Clint advised, “Okay, it’s time to get off this thing.”  
  
As the Avengers made their way to the exit, Sam walked up behind Bucky and said, “You’re a lucky man, you know that?”  
  
“Yeah?” asked the former assassin. “How do ya figure that?”  
  
“Guys!” Steve snapped.  
  
The two continued to glare at each other but said nothing more.  
  
Catching up to Steve, Wanda suggested, “How about the Ferris wheel? I’ve never been on one.”  
  
“Bor-ing!” Sam vetoed, which made Wanda frown.  
  
“I’ll go with you,” Darcy offered seeing how much it meant to Wanda to ride the wheel. She would have rathered ride with Bucky but wanted to be supportive of her friend.  
  
Longing to be near the lovely brunette, Bucky followed Darcy though he decided not to ride. Instead, he stood next to the Steeplechase booth across from the Ferris wheel and watched as she and Wanda climbed into a gondola. As much as he wanted to join her, he feared that his feelings for Darcy would become apparent to the others.  
  
Once in the gondola with Wanda, Darcy occasionally glanced down at Bucky who gave her a boyish smile each time their eyes met.  
  
“What are you looking at?” asked Wanda curiously.  
  
“Oh...nothing,” said Darcy innocently. Then, soon enough, she once again looked down at Bucky, unable to help herself.  
  
Approaching Bucky, Clint looked at the Steeplechase booth and asked, “Hey, man, you wanna go?”  
  
Glancing over his shoulder, Bucky replied, “Sure. Why not?”  
  
As the two marksmen picked up air rifles, Sam quickly nudged Steve.  
  
“Here we go!” Sam quipped as he and Steve watched with keen interest.  
  
Shot for shot, Bucky and Clint matched each other aiming at the moving targets. Although the booth’s attendant worried that the two men would win all of his prizes, he too was amazed at the accuracy of the men’s shots.  
  
“If one’s trying to beat the other, we’ll be here all day,” Sam noted.  
  
“It’s to be expected, isn’t it?” asked Natasha as she folded her arms and leaned against the counter to the right of Clint. Continuing, she said, “After all, one’s the best sniper in the world, and the other’s an ace archer and sure shot. Like Sam said, they’ll be at this all day.”  
  
“Come on, ol’ man,” Clint taunted. “You’re not gonna beat me.”  
  
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure,” Bucky answered confidently taking aim.  
  
Natasha knew that although Bucky became a sniper in the army, Hydra sharpened his skills and made him elite. While Clint had a natural ability, she was certain that his luck would eventually run out and he would be bested by the former assassin.  
  
While Sam became bored and began to fidget, Steve watched with equal amounts of pride and amazement as his best friend effortlessly hit every target.  
  
Finally, Sam declared, “I’m out!” and began to walk away. Deciding that perhaps the challenge had indeed gone on too long, Steve took a step toward the two shooters.  
  
“Either of you boys thirsty?” he asked hoping to lure them away with the prospect of beer.  
  
“Oh, yeah...the beer garden!” Clint exclaimed without looking away from his next target. “You give up, old timer?”  
  
“Hell no!” replied Bucky.  
  
“Well, I have an idea,” the marksman remarked.  
  
After a moment, Bucky said, “I’m listening...”  
  
“How about we call it a draw and put our rifles down at the same time? What do you say, ol’ man?” the archer queried.  
  
“Steve?” Bucky suddenly called.  
  
“Yeah, Buck?”  
  
“Count it down,” his friend urged.  
  
“On the count of three: One...two...three!” Steve prompted at which point both shooters put down their rifles.  
  
“You saved your buddy from getting his ass handed to him,” Clint quipped.  
  
As Bucky walked past him, he turned to Steve and said, “I had him on the ropes.”  
  
“I know you did, pal,” his friend replied and patted him on the shoulder as the group walked toward the Ferris wheel to meet Darcy and Wanda.

* * * * * *

As the Ferris wheel began to slow down, Wanda suspected that Darcy had been admiring more than just the view. Exiting the gondola, Wanda took advantage of the moment and asked, “You like him, don’t you?”  
  
Shocked, Darcy looked at her companion with an expression that answered Wanda’s question.  
  
“W-What? Who?” Darcy managed to spit out.  
  
“I mean you and Sergeant Bucky,” Wanda clarified.  
  
“No! What would make you think that?” she protested. She immediately wondered what Bucky would do if he knew that someone found out about them.  
  
Smiling, Wanda assured her, “If you ever need to talk, you can confide in me, you know.”  
  
Declining her offer, Darcy lied, “I’m not even thinking about that guy. He’s a total limburger.”  
  
“...Sorry...I misread things,” remarked Wanda unconvincingly.  
  
Unable to look at her friend, Darcy remarked, “No worries, girl.”  
  
When their gondola reached the bottom, Wanda and Darcy stepped out and joined their companions. The group then strolled in the direction of the food court en route to the beer garden. Smelling the roasting bratwurst, the Avengers’ attention became distracted.  
  
“Umm,” Darcy moaned as she inhaled the scent of the delicious meat. “Have you got any money?” she whispered to Wanda.  
  
“Don’t worry. I got you,” offered Bucky who was standing behind the girls.  
  
“Are you sure?” she asked the generous soldier.  
  
Bucky smiled down at her which made her blush. She thought he was handsome and kind, and she anxiously wanted to embrace him.  
  
“Get whatever you want,” he suggested.  
  
“Sam?” Steve asked.  
  
“Yeah, I could eat. I guess we better before drinking beer,” Sam replied.  
  
Once their orders were ready, the group took their food to a nearby picnic table. Darcy managed to arrange it so that she sat next to Bucky, which made her exceedingly happy though she did not show it.  
  
“Hey, that band sounds pretty good,” noted Sam about the group playing in the bandshell.  
  
“Heck yeah!” Darcy remarked as she bopped her head in time.  
  
“Do you like music?” queried Bucky between bites of his brat. He already knew the answer but wanted to appear as if he didn’t know the brunette beauty. Having spent much time in her apartment, the soldier was actually quite familiar with her musical taste.  
  
“I sure do! I just downloaded a dozen songs to my mp3 player last night,” Darcy remarked proudly. Suddenly noticing that Bucky had a spot of ketchup on his left cheek, she reached toward him with a napkin to wipe it away. “You’ve got some ketchup...right there,” she said as for a moment, she forgot that they were not alone.

“Oh...thanks,” he mumbled and allowed her to wipe away the spot as Wanda looked on.

Down at the other end of the table, Steve smiled, glad to see his friend interacting with others.

When they were finished eating, the heroes rose from the table and threw away their trash.

“Come on! Let’s check out the music before the band’s finished,” suggested Sam.

The team walked over toward the bandshell and stood at the edge of the crowd. As they listened to the pulsating music, Clint suddenly yelped, “Hey, look! They’ve got a Ring the Bell!”

“A what?” asked Sam trying to be heard above the music.

“Ring the Bell. You know...the strong man game. You slam the hammer down to ring the bell at the top of the pole.”

Everyone stared at Clint for a few moments. Finally, the archer declared, “Well, I’m gonna go check it out!”

“Can we go watch?” asked Wanda.

“Yeah, come on!” Clint bade.

Looking at Bucky for a moment, Darcy said, “I kinda want to stay and listen to the band,” as she was reluctant to leave the soldier.

“Aw, come on. It’ll be fun! You can hear the music from over there,” encouraged Wanda.

Darcy hoped that Bucky would join them, so she momentarily hesitated. When she realized that he was staying, she said, “Well...okay.”

“Clint, keep an eye on the girls,” Bucky advised over his shoulder.

“Yeah, yeah,” he agreed as the three walked away.

The rest of the heroes continued to enjoy the music for a few more songs. Finally, Bucky turned to look at the Ring the Bell over at the other end of the lot. He craned his neck but did not see Clint and the girls.

“What’s wrong?” asked Steve curiously.

“Uh...nothing,” he replied.

Bucky returned his attention to the band but soon found himself looking over at the Ring the Bell game again. Finally, he saw Clint but still did not see the girls.

“Buck?” asked Steve.

“I’ll be back,” Bucky mumbled as he stepped away from the group.

“Where’s he going?” Sam yelled over the music.

Natasha simply shrugged her shoulders.

When Bucky approached Clint, there was a crowd surrounding him cheering him on. As the archer slammed the hammer down again, the bell sounded and everyone roared. The attendant yelled, “He wins again!”

“Clint! Hey, Clint!” yelled Bucky above the crowd.

Looking over, the archer replied cheerfully, “Oh hey, man! How’s it going? Wanna take a swing?”

“Where are the girls?”

“Huh?” Clint wondered.

“The girls...where are they?” Bucky wondered with growing concern.

Looking around, Clint saw Wanda standing nearby holding a large plush unicorn that he had won.

“They’re over there,” he said nodding in Wanda’s direction.

Walking over to her, the soldier queried, “Wanda, where’s Darcy?”

“What? She’s...she was right here a minute ago,” Wanda said glancing around.

Bucky looked around the gathered crowd and then advised, “Stay here.” He then left to go search for Darcy and passing Clint, he snapped, “You were supposed to keep an eye on the girls!”

“Sorry, man! I got distracted,” confessed Clint as he raised the hammer to swing it once again.

Determined to find Darcy, Bucky strode away shaking his head. ‘Thor wannabe,’ he thought.

The sun was setting and after 15 minutes of searching, Bucky found himself near the restrooms. In a dimly lit area adjacent to the facilities, he suddenly heard the voices of a man and a woman.

Struggling to pull away from the man, the young woman yelped, “I said let go of me, you jerk!”

‘That’s Darcy!’ Bucky realized with horror.

As he quickly strode toward the two, the man suddenly yelped, shook, and fell to the ground.

“Darcy!” Bucky yelled as he reached her.

“Oh, Winter – it’s you!” she sighed with relief.

“Are you okay?” asked Bucky wrapping his arms around her.

“Yeah. I went to the toilet and that clown pounced on me when I came out,” she explained.

Looking down at the Taser in her hand, Bucky advised, “Put that thing away.” Bending, he checked the young man’s pulse, grabbed his ankles, and dragged him behind a few trash cans near the bushes.

Joining Darcy again, Bucky slid his right arm around her waist and guided her away from the area. As they passed a young security guard standing idly by, Bucky said, “Hey, pal. There’s a drunk guy behind those trash cans back there.”

The young guard looked in that direction and mumbled, “Oh...thanks, man.”

Before returning to the group, Bucky pulled Darcy aside and pressed her back against a nearby wall. Smiling, he leaned down and kissed her tenderly as he slipped his left arm behind her at her waist and squeezed her left breast with his right hand.

Darcy’s heart raced and she could barely catch her breath. Swooning, she caressed his left cheek with her hand and moaned softly.

After a few moments, Bucky looked into her seafoam green eyes and confessed, “I’ve been wanting to do that all day.”

“Me too,” Darcy breathlessly agreed.

As a group of four girls passed the couple, they stared momentarily at Bucky and Darcy kissing in the faint light.

‘I don’t care who sees us,’ Darcy thought. ‘I wish the whole world could know how I feel about him.’

After a few moments, Bucky rested his forehead on hers and advised, “We better get back before they come looking for us.”

“Why can’t we just tell them about us?” she wondered sadly.

“Because they wouldn’t understand. They’d try to keep us apart,” he insisted.

“But maybe they wouldn’t.”

After a pause, he offered, “Let me think about it.”

“You always say that,” she whispered.

He looked at her apologetically but said nothing.

Darcy frowned as she gazed into his large blue eyes. She was disappointed but guessed that he was probably right. He took her hand to lead her away, but she hesitated not wanting to return and be forced to once again pretend that she did not know him – the man with whom she had been intimate several times.

“Okay,” she reluctantly agreed as she gently wiped lipstick from his mouth with her right thumb.

With their hands in the pockets of their jackets, the two walked side by side back to the Ring the Bell game where Clint was still slamming down the hammer.

“Hey, _‘Thor,’_ aren’t you tired of that thing yet?” asked Bucky sarcastically, amazed that the archer was still at it.

“Haven’t missed a bell yet!” the cocky archer boasted as the crowd around him cheered.

Shaking his head, Bucky stepped over to Wanda, gently took her by the left arm, and guided both her and Darcy away.

“Come on, girls. Let’s get back to the others,” he suggested.

“But...” Wanda said.

“He’ll be fine,” Bucky advised dismissively.

When the three rejoined the others at the bandshell, Natasha asked, “You girls okay?” as she looked at Bucky.

“Yeah,” they confirmed in unison.

‘Why _wouldn’t_ they be okay?’ Bucky wondered eyeing the Russian spy. ‘She still doesn’t trust me,’ he realized. Disappointed, he tried to brush it off and concentrate on the music.

As the band played, the girls swayed back and forth and clapped while Bucky stole discreet glances at Darcy. He loved the way her long brown hair cascaded over her shoulders and the stage lights caught her pale green eyes. He missed the soft touch of her pouty pink lips and the way she caressed his cheek when they kissed.

‘Maybe Darcy’s right,’ Bucky thought. ‘Maybe we _should_ tell them – just get it out in the open...Who am I kidding? Natasha just looked at me sideways for standing next to Darcy. If she found out we have feelings for each other...I don’t think even Steve would understand.’

When the latest song came to an end, Sam turned to Steve and asked, “Isn’t beer usually a part of Oktoberfest?”

“Of course,” he replied.

“Then when are we getting some?” Sam wondered.

“He’s right,” remarked Natasha. “I’m ready for beer, too.”

“Okay, let’s head to the beer gardens then,” agreed Steve. Looking around, he asked, “What happened to Clint?”

Cocking his right thumb over his shoulder, Bucky remarked, “He’s over there throwing a hammer down like he’s Thor.”

Glancing off into the distance, Steve advised, “He’ll find us. Let’s go.”

With that, the group walked toward the beer gardens and looked for seats at one of the picnic style tables. Once seated toward the center of the gathering, they enjoyed the traditional Oom-Pah-Pah music as they waited for a waitress to serve them.

Soon, a young brunette approached them wearing a green dirndl.

“Beers all around?” she asked the group.

“Yes, seven please!” Sam confirmed.

“I’ll need to card the girls,” she said looking at Darcy and Wanda suspiciously.

“We’re legal! I’m 23 and she’s 21,” Darcy protested abruptly.

“I just need to make sure,” the young woman replied.

As the two girls retrieved their identification, Steve smiled at them encouragingly.

Once their IDs were checked, the waitress said, “You’re good! Thanks, ladies. I’ll be right back with your beers.”

While they waited for their drinks, the group enjoyed the rhythmic, traditional music and men in lederhosen who danced on the stage.

“You know, I kinda like this music,” Darcy admitted as she smiled and clapped her hands.

“Me too,” Wanda agreed.

A few moments later, the waitress returned skillfully carrying seven large mugs of beer. As she placed them on the table in the middle of the group, Clint entered the beer garden and looked around the vast room for his fellow Avengers.

“This beer tastes pretty good. I don’t know about you guys, but I plan on getting hammered,” proclaimed Darcy.

“Slow down, girl!” Natasha warned thinking it was perhaps a bad idea for the two young girls to be there.

“You got a little...” Wanda said pointing to her top lip to advise her friend that she had a bit of beer foam on her face.

Using the back of her right hand, Darcy wiped the foam from her mouth.

“Way to look out, girl!” she said appreciatively.

“Slow down,” Bucky mouthed to her before giving her a crooked smile.

“So, here you are!” Clint said as he approached the table. “Were you trying to hide from me?”

“That was the plan. Didn’t work, did it?” joked Bucky before taking a sip of his beer.

“Ha...funny,” the archer replied. “Is this me?” he asked pointing to the lone beer in front of him on the table.

“It’s all you, player,” Sam confirmed.

“If you can’t handle it, I’ll drink it for you,” offered Bucky cordially.

Laughing, Clint remarked, “You wish, old man!” and then took a big gulp from his stein.

Under the table, Darcy rested her right hand on Bucky’s left thigh as they both acted casually and pretended to ignore one another. Bucky placed his left hand atop hers and although he could not feel it, he gently stroked her hand with his left thumb.

The more people drank, the more ruckus they became with beer being spilled and conversations becoming louder. It occurred to Steve that this probably was not the best environment for Wanda and Darcy to be in and decided that it was perhaps time for the group to leave.

Darcy had realized a while ago that the alcohol might cause her to forget and expose her relationship with the former assassin, so she thought it was best if she not drink any more.

As the late afternoon turned to evening, the group rose to leave.

“We should do this again next year,” Sam suggested as they made their way to the exit.

Outside, they found the cool breeze sobering as they walked toward the parking lot making their way to the SUV in which Steve had driven the group. Bucky had driven alone on his motorcycle which was parked nearby.

“Sorry to say good-bye, player,” Sam jokingly quipped as Bucky stepped away from the group.

“Yeah, see you later, fossil,” Clint added.

“Not if I can help it,” the soldier advised with a wry smile.

“Take care, Buck. I’ll be in touch,” Steve said approaching his friend for a quick hug.

Bucky wanted to kiss Darcy before he left but knew that he could not. Instead, he smiled at her briefly and said, “You girls be good,” to her and Wanda before turning to walk away.

From a window in the SUV, Darcy watched Bucky start his motorcycle’s engine and then speed away. Her heart sank, but she tried not to show her disappointment.

As Steve guided the car toward the parking lot’s exit, Darcy’s cell phone buzzed to indicate that she had received a text message. Grinning, she read it and her heart began to race.

SoldierBoy: Meet you at your place

“Good news?” Wanda asked seeing the smile on her friend’s face.

“Uh...yeah. Just a note from my mom,” Darcy fibbed and then tucked her phone into her jacket pocket. Steve would be dropping her off before returning to the Avenger’s compound and as far as Darcy was concerned, he could not drive fast enough.

Soon, the car came to a stop in front of Darcy’s apartment building and as she opened the door to step out, Steve remarked, “Darcy, I hope you weren’t too bored hanging out with us old folks.”

“Old?” Sam protested. “Speak for yourself, Cap!”

Laughing, Darcy replied, “Are you kidding? I had a great time!”

“I’ll text you later,” Wanda offered before her friend closed the door.

They all watched as Darcy climbed the steps to the building’s front door, and she paused to wave before entering.

Once the door was closed behind her, Darcy broke into a sprint as she raced up the stairs to her apartment. Hastily pulling her keys out of her mini backpack, she opened the door and saw Bucky sitting on her sofa watching the TV.

“What took you so long?” he asked with a boyish smile.

“We had to stop for red lights,” she quipped as she removed her mini backpack and dropped it on the floor.

Bucky stood and the two embraced kissing lovingly for a few moments. Without saying a word, they walked hand in hand to her bedroom.

* * * * * *

‘I never want this to end,’ thought Bucky as he lay next to Darcy and she softly rested her head on his chest. ‘She’s right. We need to tell the others about us. Why keep hiding it? Someone’s bound to figure it out sooner or later...but what if they freak out? I don’t think we could handle that...’

Bucky continued to weigh the pros and cons as Darcy quietly dozed next to him. He had once again put off the decision still unable to make up his mind. ‘I need to do what’s best for her. She’s got more to lose than I have,’ he thought. Realizing that other than Steve, Darcy was all that he had, Bucky continued to agonize over a decision. ‘What if they don’t understand? What if they try to keep us apart?’ Bucky could not bear the thought of losing her.


End file.
